Tag: #classical music

Books, Music

In Medias Res in Music

Aubrey Leaman

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Book 1

 Argument: In a council of the Gods, Minerva calls their attention to Ulysses, still a wanderer.

                                                                                           -The Odyssey

             In medias res is the technique of starting a work in the middle. For example, The Odyssey begins when Ulysses is still wandering the earth after the Trojan War, skipping how he became a wanderer and jumping right into things.

In music, you might hear an in medias res beginning in multiple ways:

1) A loud, fast opening (you are right in the middle of the action!)

2) Conversely, a soft opening which increases Continue reading “In Medias Res in Music” →

The Other Stuff

Italo Calvino, Red Riding Hood as a Silent Film, and Psychoanalyzing Veggie Tales

Aubrey Leaman

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Seven more things about me…

  1. I am SO excited to read Italo Calvino’s “The Castle of Crossed Destinies” and “Cosmicomics.” Just checked them out from the library and the anticipation is real.
  2. Last week I wrote about the Veggie Tales song “I Love My Lips” for my literary theory and criticism class because I realized that Dr. Archibald was basically psychoanalyzing Larry…#childhoodruined.
  3. My newest music obsession is Say Lou Lou.  I would particularly recommend “Wilder Than the Wind” and Angels (Above Me).
  4. Last week I also had my senior piano recital.  For the Haydn sonata, I had created a silent, black and white movie with some friends based on Little Red Riding Hood.  I performed the sonata as the “film score” live on stage.
  5. Yesterday I discovered the glories of making my own fruit smoothies.  Why didn’t I do this before? How much of my life have I wasted away??
  6. I like to eat my almonds two at a time.  They fit so perfectly between my fingers and form the perfect amount of salty, nutty goodness in my mouth, so a lot of the time I’ll even count them out to make sure I have an even number.
  7. I own Disney Princess Uno cards.  It’s just like Uno but there are two dragon cards in the deck, which, when played, have to be vanquished by a prince card.  It’s hardcore.

Continue reading “Italo Calvino, Red Riding Hood as a Silent Film, and Psychoanalyzing Veggie Tales” →

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: Alice in Wonderland

Aubrey Leaman

Down the Rabbit Hole

You’re falling! Down, down, down you go. You keep expecting to collide with the ground and keep bracing yourself but you keep falling just the same.

You’re still falling.

You’re still falling.

You start to fall asleep (high notes). After all, you can only grit your teeth in expectation for so long.

Once you’re asleep, you have a nightmare (very low notes). What if you never ever stop falling but are stuck in a loop forever??

When you wake up you find yourself on the floor. Apparently landing woke you up, but you’re not hurt at all—phew.

(But of course you still have no idea what’s going on…)

 

Where do you think the music would go next if it continued?

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: Wuthering Heights

Aubrey Leaman

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Divertimento for Strings No. 4 by Antonio Salieri

Quartetto Amati

Young Catherine Linton is wandering out on the moors, basking in the beauty of nature and birdsong. The music becomes mixed with some darkness as she catches sight of Heathcliff, though…but she doesn’t know the danger she’s in and keeps rejoicing and just being her bubbly self. Besides, Heathcliff is acting the perfect gentleman! Nelly, who is with her, tries to interject a few timid worries and warnings, but she is basically unaffected. After all, what’s the worst that could happen??

 

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: The Picture of Dorian Gray

Aubrey Leaman

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Brahms Waltz No. 3, Op. 39

(Brass version)

The music is slightly creepy and mysterious as Dorian flits around at parties, acting and sounding like the perfect gentleman (especially as the sound gets brighter). But there have been rumors about his horrible actions that leave people unsure of him…who is this man, really??

 

Missed the last one on Peter Pan? Here it is!

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: Peter Pan

Aubrey Leaman

Schoenberg’s Suite for Piano, Op 25: IV. Intermezzo

This is like the ticking of the clock inside the crocodile. It seems unthreatening, and to most of the pirates it is—but not to Hook. He is terrified because he recognizes that crocodile as an overhanging and absolutely terrifying threat to him. In return, the creature plays with his fear by pretending to leave or feigning harmlessness, but Hook knows better and feels only an increase in terror. Though it finally leaves, Hook is still nervous as he never knows how far it’s gone, or when it will return, or if it will lose the clock inside of it that warns him of the impending danger…

 

Can you hear Hook’s fear? Do you hear something else?

You can also discover Classical Music Stories about The Great Gatsby, Wuthering Heights, and more.  

 

Music, The Other Stuff

Music, Princesses, and Emma Watson

Aubrey Leaman

Thanks to electrobeth for nominating me for the Liebster award! She has a great blog on writing inspiration that you should totally check out!

(I basically already posted 11 random facts about myself for another award, so instead of repeating myself you can check them out here.  As a sneak preview, I talk about swords, Batman, and setting my hair on fire.)

Princess music

1. What made you start your blog?

I am writing a book that is provisionally titled “Dickens and the Cheshire Cat: The Book Lover’s Guide to Classical Music.” In it I discuss how to hear stories in music (along the lines of the “Classical Music Stories” section of my blog, but in more detail). So my goal as I’ve been blogging is to connect with people who might share my interests (and, of course, to have fun!).

I believe that without first connecting to classical music and enjoying it on a personal level, technical information about things like how to identify instruments and form is more useless than useful. So, yes, the “goal” of the book I am writing is to help readers have an appreciation for classical music, but not because it is better than other music. I love my pop and rock tunes as much as the next person! Instead, the fact that classical music tells such intricate stories makes it likely that the avid reader would also be an avid listener if he or she cracked the code, so to speak, on how to listen. I hope my book will help with just that and introduce readers to this fascinating and fun activity that they might just love…

2. How do you de-stress after a long day?

Playing games on my phone, taking the most ridiculous Buzzfeed quizzes I can find, and reading, of course.

3. What fascinates you?

How we perceive Continue reading “Music, Princesses, and Emma Watson” →

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: The Great Gatsby

Aubrey Leaman

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Daisy is driving Gatsby away from town after the fight.  She sees her life shattering around her as she frantically rushes home.

There are a few temporarily happier sections, perhaps showing Gatsby’s (or even Daisy’s) unyielding optimism that it will all turn out right in the end, but even these are constantly moving and frantic.


 And of course, after the music ends, we know what happens next…

 

Do you hear this story, too, or do you hear something different? And what was your favorite part?

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: Wuthering Heights

Aubrey Leaman

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Read the story first or listen to the music first–the choice is yours!

SPOILERS

The Firebird: Lullaby by Igor Stravinsky

Near the end of his life, Heathcliff wanders at night in search of Catherine—it is like she has put him under a spell. Night after night he keeps plodding along without sleep.

At one point he thinks he glimpses her and is filled with a soaring hope! …But then he realizes his mistake and returns to endless searching.
 

Can you hear it? Do you hear something different?

Check out similar musical adventures with Hamlet and Jane Eyre.  Visit the “Classical Music Stories” category on the home page to find even more!